Shloka 40
Yuddha-yajña-vyākhyāna (The Battle as Sacrifice): Ambarīṣa–Indra Saṃvāda
सास्य वेदिस्तदा यज्ञै्नित्यं वेदास्त्रयो5ग्नय: । जब अपनी सेना तथा शत्रुसेना एक-दूसरेके सामने व्यूह बनाकर उपस्थित होती है
sāsya vedis tadā yajnaiḥ nityaṃ vedās trayo 'gnayaḥ | yastu yodhaḥ parāvṛttaḥ saṃtrasto hanyate paraiḥ ||
アンバリーシャは言った。「自軍と敵軍が互いに向かい合って陣を敷くとき、ある戦士の正面に人影なき空隙だけが残るなら、その空隙こそが彼の『戦の祭』のヴェーディ（祭壇）である。そこでは、あたかも祭祀が常に営まれているかのように、三つのヴェーダと三種の聖火が絶えず स्थापितされている。だが恐れにかられて背を向ける戦士は、敵に討たれる。」
अम्बरीष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames righteous battle (for a kṣatriya) as a solemn sacrifice: the warrior’s forward-facing space is his altar, and steadfastness is demanded. Retreat born of fear is condemned, implying that courage and duty sustain dharma, while panic and turning back lead to ruin.
Ambarīṣa describes the moment when armies stand in formation facing each other. He uses yajña imagery—altar, Vedas, and fires—to sacralize the warrior’s stance at the front, then contrasts it with the fate of a frightened fighter who turns back and is killed by the enemy.